All Activity

Fact of the Day - MORE SICK IN WINTER Did you know... It’s not just because you’re spending more time indoors. While it’s possible to catch a viral illness any time of the year, winter seems to bring an influx of sickness. Flu shots are normally given in anticipation of seasonal spread; anecdotally, you may find people who have “come down with something” or “caught a bug.” We often think of cold weather bringing people indoors as a big reason why colds and the flu seem to spread, but is that the only reason? Or is it something else? The Science Behind a Winter Uptick in Illnesses While it’s certainly true that spending more time indoors can put you in closer proximity to others and thereby raise the risk of transmission, there are other factors at play. According to the National Institutes of Health, the lipid (or fatty) coating of influenza cells tends to turn into liquid at higher temperatures, making it less stable and transmissible. In colder weather, however, the lipid membrane remains intact, allowing for a sturdier and more persistent virus. When it comes in contact with the respiratory tract, the coating dissolves and begins to infect its host. That’s not the only way viruses can benefit from cooler temperatures. Winter also means less humidity in the air, both indoors and outside. Less moisture means viruses can travel farther and remain in the air longer without binding to water molecules. Less indoor ventilation can also lead to stale air and persistent, lingering germs. Does Cold Weather Weaken the Immune System? What about physiological reasons? It’s possible that cold weather may impact our immune systems. A 2023 study in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology looked at the possibility of immune defense in the nose growing less effective as temperatures drop, though only four subjects were studied and no firm conclusions were drawn. There’s also no general consensus over whether simply being cold affects our immune systems. Although it’s possible that fluctuating body temperatures can affect our ability to fight off illness, heading outside with wet hair or grabbing the mail in a T-shirt are unlikely to be major factors in getting sick. While winter may increase your risk of catching something unpleasant, the same general principles to stay healthy still apply. Frequent handwashing can help reduce the spread of germs, as can regularly disinfecting surfaces; try to avoid sharing utensils or drinking glasses with others, too. Vaccinations can also lower your risk of infection. Source: Why Do More People Get Sick in the Winter?

What's the Word: NOCTURNE pronunciation: [NAHK-tərn] Part of speech: noun Origin: French, mid-19th century Meaning: 1. (Music) A short composition of a romantic or dreamy character suggestive of night, typically for piano. 2. (Art) A picture of a night scene. Examples: "Chopin's nocturnes were specifically composed to evoke the ethereal feeling of the night." "Vincent Van Gogh is best known for his beautiful nocturne 'The Starry Night.'" About Nocturne Nocturne developed in French by way of the Latin word "nocturnus," meaning "of the night." Did you Know? There's something so peaceful and even romantic about the night sky. Use the poetic noun "nocturne" to describe any art you produce inspired by the evening and midnight hours.

Billies Wheelie currently is free on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/3180310/Billies_Wheelie/

Fact of the Day - CENTER OF THE 48 CONTIGUOUS STATES Did you know... Many states consider themselves the heartland of America, but where exactly is the geographic center of the U.S.? If you’re including only the lower 48 states, look no further than a nondescript field north of Lebanon, Kansas, located at 39° 50' 00" N 98° 35' 00" W. Not much marks this otherwise typical stretch of Midwestern farmland, except for a nearby historical marker noting that the location was determined by the U.S. Geological Survey, and that the point is “where a plane map of the 48 states would balance if it were of uniform thickness.” In earlier times, this accolade garnered enough tourists for a motel to be built nearby, selling souvenirs and a night’s rest at the center of the country. While the souvenirs remain (in downtown Lebanon), the motel has since closed up shop. Of course, this isn’t the center of the entire U.S., which drastically stretched its borders when it welcomed Alaska and Hawaii into the union at the end of the 1950s. In 1959, a U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey concluded that the new center of the U.S. (excluding territories) had lurched northwest toward the small town of Belle Fourche, South Dakota, which today posts a similar plaque regarding its centralized status. How long Belle Fourche keeps its title remains to be seen, as many contenders to be the 51st state — whether Puerto Rico, Guam, or some other territory — could once again relocate the bullseye of the U.S. Helium gas was discovered on Earth in a Kansas field in 1903. One of the biggest discoveries in chemistry began with a party foul. In May 1903, residents of Dexter, Kansas, planned a major celebration in honor of a “howling gasser” that had recently been drilled nearby, and which was unleashing 9 million cubic feet of gas a day. Excited for what they believed were vast natural gas reserves, the residents dreamed of the forthcoming economic opportunities, and held a big bash complete with a parade, speeches, and games, all leading to the final event of the night — lighting the gas in celebration of the town’s good luck. The town mayor set a bale of hay on fire that slowly moved toward contact with the gas, and then … the fire went out. The mayor tried to light the gas again. No luck. While dreams of economic prosperity quickly dimmed, scientific curiosity took over. Intrigued by this strange gaseous event, the state’s geologist, Erasmus Haworth, sent a sample of the gas to the University of Kansas. It was there that chemist David F. McFarland discovered an “inert residue” that essentially made the gas nonflammable — and part of that “inert residue” was helium. Although helium had been discovered decades earlier, scientists initially believed the gas was found only in high concentrations in the heavens. This happy (or, for the residents of Dexter, somewhat unhappy) accident in a small town in Kansas proved them wrong. Source: The geographic center of the 48 contiguous states is a field in Kansas.

What's the Word: FAMULUS pronunciation: [FAM-yə-ləs] Part of speech: noun Origin: Latin, mid 19th century Meaning: 1. An assistant or servant, especially one working for a magician or scholar. Examples: "Salem disliked being referred to as Sabrina's famulus." "The magician summoned a famulus to handle the heavy-duty work around the castle." About Famulus While this noun originates from Latin, where "famulus" means "servant," it has since evolved to also reference an assistant. If you are assisting your friend with a task, you might playfully refer to yourself as their famulus. Did you Know? If "famulus" sounds familiar, it might be because this word reminds you of the concept of a familiar — a magical companion often seen alongside witches and magic practitioners. While the most common familiar is the classic black cat, the toad is also a popular choice, especially in media.

Fact of the Day - THE FASTED MUSCLE Did you know... The human eye is a biological wonder. Able to perceive the subtle hues of 1 million colors and filled with tens of millions of photosensitive rods and cones, our eyes help interpret reality for us — but they’d be useless without a muscle called the orbicularis oculi. A sphincter muscle arranged in concentric bands around both eyelids, the orbicularis oculi controls blinking and drains tears from the eye to the nasolacrimal duct system (which eventually drains into the nasal cavity). These functions are essential to happy and healthy eyes, as they clear particles from the surface, lubricate the eyes, and supply oxygen to the corneas. Without this crucial muscle, our corneas would swell, our eyes would dry out, and eventually we’d go blind. However, the orbicularis oculi boasts another impressive biological accolade — out of all 650 or so muscles in the human body, it’s the fastest one. This muscle can contract, or blink, in as little as 0.1 second. Although blinking is incredibly quick, the average person will blink up to 19,200 times per day — which takes up about 10% of a person’s waking hours. Eagles can see up to five times farther than humans. When someone spots something others can’t see, they’re often called “eagle-eyed.” Turns out, that’s a biologically appropriate compliment. Raptors, including bald eagles and golden eagles, have some of the best vision in the animal kingdom. These birds of prey can see four to five times farther than humans. This 20/4 vision (meaning eagles see 20 feet away what humans see 4 feet away) is like being able to spot an ant on the ground from a 10-story building, according to LiveScience. Some experts believe an eagle’s incredibly deep fovea, located in the back of their eyes, essentially allows these birds to use their eyes like a telephoto lens. This comes in handy when eagles glide on the wind looking for unsuspecting prey hundreds of feet below. Source: Your eyes contain the fastest muscle in your body.

What's the Word: SURREY pronunciation: [SUH-ree] Part of speech: noun Origin: English, late 19th century Meaning: 1. A light four-wheeled carriage with two seats facing forward. Examples: "The old surrey is still out there behind the barn." "I'm looking for a picture of a surrey with two black horses." About Surrey You can call it a buggy, but a surrey is a particular type of horse-drawn carriage. It has four wheels and two seats, capable of carrying four passengers. The name comes from the British county of Surrey, where the cart was originally invented. Did you Know? Broadway fans will surely be familiar with the tune "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top" from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "Oklahoma!" When handsome cowboy Curley wants to take a girl for a ride in a surrey, "chicks and ducks and geese better scurry."

Fact of the Day - WHY JANUARY 1ST Did you know.... Julius Caesar thought January worked as the “doorway” to a new year, but it wasn’t all thanks to him. The month of January is about more than just cold weather and post-holiday shopping burnout. It also marks the start of a new year, and with it, the opportunity to make fresh starts and new year resolutions that’ll help you further some long-simmering goals. But have you ever stopped and asked yourself why January even corresponds with the new year in the first place? The answer is complicated—and it involves some pretty significant historical figures. January Enters the Scene Way back when, the Romans had a god named Janus. He was the god of doors and gates and had two faces—one looking forward and one looking back. Julius Caesar thought it would be appropriate for January, Janus’s namesake month, to be the doorway to a new year, and when he created the Julian calendar, he made January 1 the first day of the year (this also put the calendar year in line with the consular year, as new consuls also took office that day). For Caesar, the Julian calendar was a political tool and weapon. As the Roman armies conquered new lands, the Empire often gave its new subjects some freedom in retaining certain religious and social customs. After the calendar was created, though, it was used in every corner of the Empire, not just for consistency, but to remind all citizens of Roman authority and Caesar’s power. After Rome fell and Christianity spread through Europe, the celebration of the new year was seen as pagan (the Romans, after all, had observed the new year’s first day by engaging in drunken orgies), so the first day of the year was moved to a more agreeable date to Christianize it. Some countries started their year on March 25, the day Christians commemorate the announcement to Mary that she miraculously was pregnant. Other countries used Christmas Day, December 25, and others used Easter Sunday, no matter what date it fell on. In common usage, January 1 was still the first day of the year, as regular non-clergy, non-royal folks didn’t see a need to change it. Change of Date This calendrical chaos worked for a while, but a frustrated pope put an end to all the confusion during the Middle Ages. An error in Caesar’s calendar had caused the Julian year to become misaligned with the solar year. By 1582, the difference had grown to 10 days. Over the years, the Spring Equinox (and, with it, Easter) kept getting moved up, and Pope Gregory XIII was tired of having to reset the holiday. So Gregory devised a new calendar that used a single leap day every four years to keep it aligned. He also restored January 1 as the first day of the year. Most Catholic countries adopted the Gregorian calendar quickly, but the Protestant and Eastern Rite countries were a little more hesitant. The Protestants complained that the “Roman Antichrist” was trying to trick them into worshiping on the wrong days. The Eastern Rite churches wanted to maintain tradition, so some Eastern European countries kept the Julian calendar for centuries more. Russia didn’t switch to the Gregorian calendar until after the 1917 revolution, and even today the Eastern Orthodox Church still follows either the traditional or revised Julian calendar to set its liturgical year. Eventually the Protestant nations came around and switched to the Gregorian calendar. Most, though, changed the start of the year well before they adopted the whole thing. England, Ireland and the British colonies made January 1 the start of the year in early 1752 (Scotland had already switched about 150 years earlier) but waited until September to fully embrace the new calendar. The staggered move was perhaps symbolic, bringing the government calendar in line with the people's before bringing the nation’s calendar in line the with Pope’s. Source: Why Does the New Year Start on January 1?

What's the Word: HAVEN pronunciation: [HAY-vən] Part of speech: noun Origin: Old English, pre-12th century Meaning: 1. A place of safety or refuge. 2. An inlet providing shelter for ships or boats; a harbor or small port. Examples: "I know that I will always have a haven at my grandmother's house." "We need to reach the haven before the storm hits." About Haven The original Old Norse meaning applied to a harbor or small port where boats would be safe. This feeling of security meant that "haven" was used to describe any sort of safe place or sanctuary, Did you Know? When an English word doesn't have Latin or Greek roots, we can usually trace it to Anglo-Saxon origins. In Old Norse, we have "hǫfn,” and in Late Old English, it is "hæfen." The feeling of safety and security is the same in English and Dutch with "haven," and in German, "Hafen" means "harbor."

https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/wildgate-2e3419 Wildgate is currently free on Epic Games. https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/total-war-three-kingdoms-d3bb7a Total War: Three Kingdoms is currently free on Epic Games. https://store.onstove.com/en/games/749 Syberia: The World Before is currently free on Stove. https://store.onstove.com/en/games/3515 GigaBash is currently free on Stove.

Imu's control over Harald continues as the king is forced to strike down his subjects. By having Knights sign levels of covenants, Imu grants them immense strength and power as well as bring able puppeteer them - from a certain distance, at least. While Harald was briefly restrained, he explains to Loki and others present that the World Government would only accept the Giants as more slaves. Gaban and Shanks show up to try and helps as Loki is ordered to eat a specific Devil Fruit to stop things from getting worse. Also Mjolnir is apparently involved.

Fact of the Day - CONFETTI Did you know.... Confetti usually brings to mind joyful scenes of fluttering paper strips, but that wasn’t always the case. In 19th-century Italy, confetti actually referred to sugar-coated almonds and other candied foods, tossed during street festivals such as pre-Lent Carnival celebrations. “Confetti” is originally an Italian word meaning “sweetmeats,” a general term for dessert foods. Carnival celebrations in cities including Rome and Naples encouraged excess before the austerity of Lent. Revelers pelted each other from the streets and balconies, armed with slings and tubes to launch their edible ammunition. By the mid-1800s, small plaster balls and chalk pellets were used as a cheaper and more accessible alternative to the candied almonds. Charles Dickens describes such a scene vividly in 1846’s Pictures From Italy, noting that protective wire masks had become required Carnival gear. By 1875, Milan businessman Enrico Mangili was selling paper scraps from his silk manufacturing company for use in Carnival celebrations, and paper confetti quickly replaced its candied predecessors. The confetti at Times Square on New Year’s Eve is dispersed by hand. Each New Year’s Eve, roughly 3,000 pounds of confetti rain down on the dedicated revelers in New York City’s Times Square as the ball drops at midnight. Given the magnitude of the celebration, you may assume this to be the work of confetti cannons, but the tradition is fully manual. By 8:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, 100 volunteers make their way to the tops of seven different buildings to assume their positions. Just before midnight, they quickly start throwing armful after armful of the recycled, 100% biodegradable paper pieces to the crowds below. It’s been this way since 1992, when former Disneyland balloon artist Treb Heining was hired to organize the event’s first confetti drop. To this day, Heining remains committed to conducting the operation by hand, preferring the timing and effect it gives the falling paper shreds. Source: The original confetti was made of sugar-coated almonds.

What's the Word: GADZOOKS pronunciation: [gad-ZOOKS] Part of speech: exclamation Origin: English, late 17th century Meaning: 1. An exclamation of surprise or annoyance. Examples: "Gadzooks! This coffee is hot!" "I was just walking down the street, and gadzooks, it started pouring!" About Gadzooks Gadzooks is an exclamation (sometimes known as an interjection). This part of speech is a word or short phrase that can stand on its own grammatically. It's used to insert surprise, excitement, or even pain and sadness. Anything that packs a punch — like the "pows!" and "bams!" of the old "Batman" cartoons — may be an exclamation. Did you Know? Although it is in the same family as "cheers," "good grief," "hooray," "kaboom," and "yabba dabba doo," "gadzooks" has a more religious origin story. It's an alteration of "God's hooks," i.e., the nails that held Jesus to the cross. "Gadzooks" serves a similar purpose to invoking a holy figure in your swears.

https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/chivalry-2 Chivalry 2 is currently free on Epic Games.

Fact of the Day - FLYING CORKS Did you know.... It’s impossible to pinpoint just how much that tension-bursting “pop!” adds to the enjoyment of a bottle of Champagne, but human ingenuity has found ways to measure the speed at which a cork shoots from its mooring. In 2008, a German scientist calculated that the average speed of a Champagne cork is just under 25 mph, though they also noted that 62 mph could be reached under the right conditions. Other sources, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, have noted that champagne corks can easily go flying at around 50 mph. This high-speed bedazzlement is the result of the way Champagne (and all sparkling wine) is created. Since that magical late 17th-century day when Dom Perignon discovered the recipe — and likely even before that — the beverage has been made by adding yeast and sugar to an existing base of wine. Sealed tight in a bottle, this mixture undergoes a second fermentation that produces its signature carbon dioxide bubbles. That second fermentation swells internal pressure to 90 pounds per square inch — approximately three times the level of an inflated car tire. Upon finally achieving release when the bottle’s wire is unwrapped and its stopper nudged, the pent-up carbon dioxide not only ejects the cork at parkway-level speeds, but also generates supersonic shock waves that resemble those unleashed by rockets and jets. Of course, such a violently ejected projectile needs to be handled carefully; while it's used to comic effect in movies, a poorly aimed cork can shatter glass and result in ghastly injuries like a split eyeball or a detached retina. Drinkers will want to follow safe-opening guidelines that include chilling the sparkling wine to reduce pressure, aiming away from the body, and gripping the cork while twisting the bottle. The traditional Formula 1 celebratory Champagne spray began by accident in the 1960s. It’s unclear when overflowing bottles of Champagne became a regular sight in the locker rooms of pro athletes celebrating a championship, but for motorsports at least, the tradition of the winner spraying the crowd with a bottle of bubbly has a clear origin. At the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race, Swiss Formula 1 driver Jo Siffert was handed a bottle that allegedly had been sitting out in the sun for too long, resulting in a surprise pop and unexpected shower for those in proximity. The following year, American driver Dan Gurney decided to up the ante by shaking his winning bottle of Champagne and directing the outburst onto the crowd by the podium. Although the spray may have landed a little too much on team boss Henry Ford II and his new bride, even the sport’s bigwigs soon realized that there was no getting that particular mode of celebration back in the bottle. Source: Champagne corks can fly at 50 mph.

What's the Word: INEXHAUSTIBLE pronunciation: [in-ig-ZAHS-tə-bəl] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, early 17th century Meaning: 1. (Of an amount or supply of something) Unable to be used up because existing in abundance. Examples: "She has a seemingly inexhaustible well of enthusiasm for working with little kids." "It seems like there's an inexhaustible supply of treats in the pantry." About Inexhaustible Exhaust is a simple word meaning "to use up resources entirely." When you add the prefix "in-," meaning "not," and the suffix "-able," meaning "able to be," you get "inexhaustible" — a never-ending supply of resources. Did you Know? Wind power is being explored as a possible inexhaustible source of energy. Sailboats have long harnessed the power of the wind, but massive fields of turbines are also doing it on land. There are more than 60,000 wind turbines operating in the United States.

https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/bundles/trine-classic-collection Trine Classic Collection is currently free on Epic Games.

Fact of the Day - BEES Did you know.... Humans have known about bees for a long time: 8,000-year-old cave paintings in Bicorp, Spain, show early humans scaling trees to collect honey. But modern scientists wanted to know if bees recognize us, which is why researchers have put the insects’ microscopic brains to the test. In a 2005 study, honey bees were trained to memorize pictures of human faces by scientists who rewarded them for correct matches with droplets of sugar water. While a bee’s-eye view isn’t as clear as our own gaze, the buzzing insects were able to correctly differentiate between faces up to 90% of the time — even two days after first seeing them, and when the sweet incentives were removed. The emerging research into bee brains shows that not all living creatures need the complex brain systems humans have in order to recognize and recall environmental differences, but some researchers say that’s not entirely shocking. The Apis mellifera (aka the European honey bee) can visit up to 5,000 flowers in one day, distinguishing between buds that give off beaucoup nectar and those that don’t. So, it makes sense that bees have some form of working memory. And unlocking how bee brains work has practical applications for both us and them: Tech developers may be able to fine-tune artificial intelligence systems (in part by understanding how such tiny brains work so efficiently), and entomologists can better focus on supporting these crucial insects — which are responsible for an estimated 80% of food crop pollination. Arctic bees hibernate for nine months. Most researchers agree that bees are weather-sensitive; species living in four-season environments generally appear with warming spring temperatures and disappear into their hives to wait out winter. But that doesn’t mean all bees are delicate — some pollinator species are able to withstand the colder temps of the Arctic Circle. In the short summers between rugged winters, arctic bumblebees do the heavy lifting of pollinating wildflowers and berries that other animals rely on. Bombus polaris have adapted to the unforgiving climates of northern Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia, Russia, and elsewhere with thicker fur and the ability to shiver their muscles to raise internal temperatures, but they also have shorter lifespans than bees in warmer regions. Queen arctic bumblebees emerge from a nine-month solitary hibernation in May with one task in mind: quickly laying eggs to jump-start a colony that will live only a few months, save for one new queen — who will replace her in August to start the process all over again. Source: Bees can recognize human faces.

What's the Word: GAB pronunciation: [gab] Part of speech: verb Origin: Late Middle English, 18th century Meaning: 1. Talk at length, typically about trivial matters. Examples: "Come over for a cup of coffee and let's gab." "If my mom starts to gab in the grocery store, we'll never make it home." About Gab This short and sweet word basically means to chit-chat. You might gab with your friends about everything, or nothing at all. It's just a casual chat. Did you Know? The original Late Middle English word "gab" meant "to mock or tell lies." Pleasantly, the meaning has shifted to account for a casual sort of chat. You're not telling lies; you're just passing the time with a bit of conversation.

https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/viewfinder-61691c Viewfinder is currently free on Epic Games. https://abhitechgames.itch.io/lasertanks Laser Tanks is currently free on Itch.io.

Fact of the Day - NOT THE EXACT SAME COLOR Did you know.... Not unlike snowflakes and fingerprints, human eyes are never exactly alike from person to person — in terms of color, that is. While brown may be the most common eye color, there are so many shades of it — not to mention blue, green, and other hues — that no two irises are identical, even among identical twins. Eyes get their color from the two-layered iris, with the back layer (officially known as the pigment epithelium) almost always containing brown pigment. The amount of pigment in the front layer (stroma) usually determines a person’s eye color — a lot of brown pigment results in brown eyes, whereas people with blue eyes have no pigment at all in their stroma. Those with just a bit of pigment end up with green or hazel eyes. And there’s always just the tiniest amount of variation in the results: If you’ve ever tinkered with a color slider, you’ll have a better understanding of how rare it is for any two colors to actually be the same, even if the difference between them is so minute as to be barely detectable by, well, the naked eye. Then there’s heterochromia — when one person has eyes of two different colors. Complete heterochromia is when both eyes are different (one brown and one blue, for example), while sectoral heterochromia is when one section of the iris is different from the rest. Central heterochromia is when the iris has a ring around it that’s different. Though it can sometimes be a sign of an injury or other condition, heterochromia is most often a harmless — and cool-looking — genetic anomaly. More than 50% of the worldwide population has brown eyes. Brown is the most common eye color, and by a lot — more than 50% of all people worldwide have brown eyes, including 45% of people in America. In the U.S., blue eyes are in second place at 27%, followed by hazel at 18%, and green at 9%. All other eye colors account for just 1% of the domestic population. The numbers are quite different elsewhere, with blue being the most common eye color in countries such as Iceland (75%) and the Netherlands (61%), and brown eyes even more dominant in Uzbekistan (91%) and Armenia (80%). Source: No two people’s eyes are exactly the same color.

What's the Word: CEASELESSLY pronunciation: [SEES-ləs-lee] Part of speech: adverb Origin: Latin, late 16th century Meaning: 1. Continuously and without end. Examples: "She worked ceaselessly to improve her skills as a chef." "If you don't fix that screen door, the banging will continue ceaselessly." About Ceaselessly You might be familiar with the verb "cease," meaning "bring to an end." When you add "-less," it turns into an adjective meaning "without end.” The further addition of "-ly" gives us the adverb "ceaselessly." This means something is done without end. Did you Know? F. Scott Fitzgerald used the word "ceaselessly" in the last line of "The Great Gatsby": "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." Nick used the metaphor to depict Gatsby's futile struggle to revive his love with Daisy and, on a grander scale, the human struggle to escape the clutches of our own history.

https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/skald-against-the-black-priory-cffcc0 SKALD: Against the Black Priory is currently free on Epic Games. https://teammelon.itch.io/cottageville CottageVille is currently free on Itch.io.

https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/cassette-beasts-32c8e0 Cassette Beasts is currently free on Epic Games.

Fact of the Day - BOXING DAY Did you know... Relax, Hallmark conspiracy theorists: Boxing Day isn’t some prank to confuse America. It’s a real holiday in the United Kingdom and other countries that dates back to the days of Queen Victoria. Here are some facts to get you up to speed. Boxing Day occurs on December 26. Boxing Day is observed annually on December 26. If it falls on a weekend, the public holiday itself will be celebrated on Monday. It became an official holiday during the reign of Queen Victoria, though some historians trace its origins back much further—to medieval times. Today, it’s largely an extension of the Christmas holiday and a big day for sporting events and shopping. No one really knows where the name Boxing Day originated. Many historians think Boxing Day’s name is derived from the church practice of opening alms boxes the day after Christmas and distributing money to the poor. Historically, British employers followed the church’s lead by sliding workers and servants gifts or cash on December 26. Others believe the “box” refers to the boxes of gifts employers gave to their servants on the day after Christmas. (In wealthy households, servants were often required to work on Christmas Day but given December 26 off to celebrate the holiday on their own.) Boxing Day is a big day for shopping. Historically, Boxing Day’s post-Christmas sales have long made it one of the UK’s busiest shopping days of the year. And while it still falls within that category, the popularity of online shopping has reduced the overall spending people do on December 26. “Fifteen years ago it was pretty much guaranteed that you would only get big sales a few times a year—Boxing Day and the big summer clearance,” Bryan Roberts, an analyst at Kantar Retail, told The Telegraph in 2015. “That is no longer the case.” “The Boxing Day sales are pretty much dead,” Roberts added. “Black Friday and Cyber Monday illustrate Christmas sales are starting earlier and earlier. There is a possibility prices will just keep on dropping in the run-up to Christmas. This makes the Boxing Day sales incredibly diluted.” There is no boxing involved in Boxing Day. Despite the name, British observances of Boxing Day involve no fisticuffs. For patricians, however, another sport rules the day: fox hunting. Though it’s a long-held tradition, many animal rights activists and groups would like to see the practice done away with altogether—especially because it’s technically illegal. In the days leading up to Boxing Day, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is often very vocal in reminding citizens that “The chasing or killing of foxes and other British mammals with a pack of dogs was banned because the overwhelming majority of the UK public rejected this so-called ‘sport’ as cruel and abhorrent.” Some other countries do take the name more literally. In other countries, Boxing Day celebrations are more literal. Some nations in Africa and the Caribbean that used to be British colonies celebrate the holiday with prizefighting events. In Ireland, December 26 is sometimes known as Wren Day. Ireland sometimes refers to December 26 as Wren Day, a nod to an old tradition in which poor children would kill a wren, then sell the feathers to neighbors for good luck. In today’s celebrations, the wren is fake. Source: Surprising Facts About Boxing Day